Early snow falls in Britain

The earliest widespread snow for 17 years fell over Britain last night,
leaving large parts of the country blanketed in white.

8:43AM GMT 25 Nov 2010

Up to 4 ins (10cm) of snow settled in north-east Scotland and northern England overnight, with the Met Office issuing severe weather warnings.

Forecasters warned the cold weather was expected to tighten its grip as the week continued, with temperatures dropping to minus 5C in some regions over the next few days. It is expected to be the earliest major snowfall since 1993.

By the end of the week a moderate dusting of snow is expected across the rest of the country, though it will remain heaviest in Scotland, Orkney and the Shetland Isles. Temperatures were not expected to rise much above 2-5C by day, remaining lower in the more exposed, rural areas.

Billy Payne, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said: "It's going to be a very cold day. There will be sleet and snow showers around, with the worst affected areas in northern and eastern Scotland and north-east England. There will be a covering of snow, especially over the higher ground, with wintry showers across London."

"The cold spell looks set to stay at least into the beginning of December. There will be low temperatures into next week, with the risk of sleet and snow showers."